Review Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon

• Lady Audley's Secret, considered as a sensational novel, was highly popular in the 19th century. Published in 1862, it became a notable work by Mary Elizabeth Braddon. The novel reaps the sensation because it has themes of bigamy. Lady Audley's secret combined Gothic horror with psychological realism.
• Lady Audley had climbed up her social status from a governess named Lucy Graham till she ensnares even the wealthy widower, Michael Audley. She made it with her childlike beauty, her most valuable asset.Robert Audley, the nephew of Michael Audley, wanted to comfort his grieving friend, George Talboys after the death of his wife. He took him to Audley Court to have dinner with his new aunt, but the lady avoided them. After they sneak out of the forbidden room to see the lady's portrait, George Talboys is missing.
• Robert is represented as an amateurish detective to search for clues and to investigate the missing of his friend. The mystery leads to the secret of Lady Audley and her past lives. He pursued questions of identity along the paths and corridors of English country houses.
• Lady Audley is a self-centered woman, just driven by her own desire, her action as a reflection of her desperation for her poverty and her social status.
• The favorite character obviously falls into Robert Audley. The changes in the character of Robert from lazy and idle make him more focused, disciplined, and motivated. He is obsessed with the mystery of George's disappearance, he longs for closure about his friend’s disappearance and is willing to do anything to attain it. Some readers think that he is a homosexual because he has a strong feeling for George, but I think it's normal, he finds justice not only for his friend, but also for his uncle and the future of the Audley family.
• This novel became my comfort reading, with a third-person narrative, flowy and fast-paced. It feels like reading Agatha Christie's work, but it's not the same because of Braddon's rich narrative, but sometimes it's verbose. Writing a review of a mystery novel is quite difficult for me not to spoil the main story. Overall, I think this book is the best choice for anyone who loves the Victorian era. It is also compared with The Woman In White by Wilkie Collins.